South Iceland Chamber Choir

Choir

South Iceland Chamber Choir comprises both professional and amateur musicians from the south of the country. It was founded in 1997 by Hilmar Örn Agnarsson who has been its conductor from the outset.

The choir has a repertoire of both sacred and secular music from all periods, which it has performed widely, including several appearances on Icelandic televison and participation in music and arts festivals in Iceland, France and Greenland.

The choir has collaborated with and premiered works by many outstanding Icelandic composers, whose musical backgrounds and works range from pop and rock to classical. These include Benni Hemm Hemm, music for movies and the theatre by Kjartan Sveinsson of the band Sigur Rós, Gunnar Reynir Sveinsson with his roots in jazz and works by the likes of Jón Nordal and Bára Grímsdóttir.

The choir has released four CDs ‘Ég byrja reisu mín’ and ‘Til Mariu’ on the Smekkleysa label and ‘Á hugarhimni mínum’ on their own label. All three feature Icelandic music. Their most recent recording, the acclaimed ‘lepo Oneipo’ (Sacred Dream) released 2010 on Smekkleysa, features the music of the English composer Sir John Tavener. The choir’s collaboration with Sir John dates back to the year 2004 when they performed the first complete concert of his works in Iceland. That concert included the premier performance of the work ‘Schuon Hymnen’, which was specially commissioned by the choir. In November 2010 Sir John made his first visit to Iceland to attend the launch concert for ‘lepo Oneipo’. The CD was chosen as CD of the month by Gramophone magazine in October 2010 and was nominated for the best album award in the contemporary and classical music category of the 2011 Icelandic Music Awards.